Chapter 58 Have you slapped enough?
Mingying was already very familiar with his tricks.
They remained silent, locked in a stalemate.
The dark shadows swayed in the open space between the two, lonely and desolate.
In the end, Pei Xiaoyun gave in and called someone in: "Take the young lady away and take good care of her."
His two dark eyes seemed to be embedded in his bright and slender back.
She was more ruthless than he had imagined.
He thought he could control her with gentle persuasion, but she left him helpless and frustrated.
He Lianqing examined her injuries and said that she was fine, but he was worried that the fetus in her womb might be uncomfortable, so he ordered someone to prepare a medicine to help prevent miscarriage.
A bowl of yellowish-brown, glossy herbal soup sat on the table, its liquid sloshing around before settling into stillness.
Because it is a mild medicine, the smell is not pungent; only a faint medicinal fragrance wafts in the room.
"Drink this bowl of medicine to prevent miscarriage."
"Did you drug this again?" Mingying's gaze fell on the medicine soup.
The thought of that shameless scoundrel putting such a thing in her food filled her with a burning hatred that she wished she could tear him to pieces.
Pei Xiaoyun's nostrils flared slightly, the dim light casting shadows on her jade-like face as she exhaled a breath of stale air.
He could tell she was still blaming him.
"If you had just obeyed me back then, none of this would have happened."
He didn't want to see her with a sullen face all day long, looking listless and lost.
But she resisted him in every way and was unwilling to accept it, so he resorted to this desperate measure.
Mingying was filled with resentment and was about to burst into flames. She grabbed the bowl and smashed it heavily at his feet.
The medicine soaked through his frosty white robe, staining it with a brown mark.
"You!" Pei Xiaoyun's eyes blazed with fury as he pressed down on her.
She must have lost all her nerve. He got her out of prison and offered her a way out, but she wouldn't listen to reason.
"What, do you want to kill me?" Mingying leaned closer, urging him on, "Hurry up and do it."
She knew he wouldn't; otherwise, he would have killed her in prison.
He was delusional, wanting her to give birth to his child, forget all the past grievances, and then marry her under a different identity, confining her to the backyard for the rest of her life.
She was tired of even pretending to be nice to him; now she was determined to make him miserable and wouldn't let him have his way.
A surge of anger rose and fell in his throat.
Pei Xiaoyun chewed and swallowed, feeling extremely uncomfortable in her stomach. She could no longer put on a warm expression. Grabbing her wrist, she told her, "I won't kill you. I want you to obediently give birth to this child and stay by my side forever. Don't try any tricks. I've already fallen for your scheme once. Do you think all your plans will be foolproof?"
A sharp ray of light swept across Mingying's face, stinging her skin and causing a dull ache.
Filled with resentment, she mustered her strength, pushed against his chest, and glared at him defiantly: "Then you'd better watch out, or I'll give you any chance to make things difficult for you."
"Fine, you're very good. I'll be watching." Pei Xiaoyun let out a hoarse laugh, reached out and scattered the beaded curtain, then strode out of the room without looking back.
She only has a few clumsy methods.
He was wary of He Lianqing, her brother, and all these people; he didn't believe she could cause any trouble.
He instructed his men to check on her every fifteen minutes, even when she was asleep at night, and also ordered two maids to sleep in her room and keep an eye on her.
Mingying couldn't sleep all night. Even the slightest breath would be noticed by the maid. She was fed up with being treated like a prisoner!
—
In the dead of night, a death knell tolled at the palace gates, and all the officials knelt before the emperor as he rode the dragon to his death.
Pei Xiaoyun, dressed in a crimson-purple robe embroidered with gold threads, strode up the jade steps, shattering the frost and dew on the ground. He turned his head and asked, "How did it go?"
"Absolutely foolproof."
He nodded, the crisscrossing palace steps stretching his figure long and slender. Stepping onto the last jade step, the entire palace was now beneath his feet.
He used a fire as a pretext to create the illusion of the young emperor's death. In reality, the last emperor of the Xiao family had been sent to the ends of the earth and would never be able to return to the capital.
The Xiao family is mediocre and incompetent, only enjoying power and not establishing any real achievements. They even colluded with foreign enemies to harm the people. They are not worthy of sitting in this position.
Upon his return, he had thoroughly purged the Xiao family, ensuring their continued existence. As for the other prominent families, they had scattered like monkeys after the tree fell, and he paid them no heed.
Internal discord can lead to complete collapse with just one opportunity.
As dawn broke and a fiery red sun rose in the east, he looked down upon the civil and military officials who knelt in homage to the glory of yesterday.
Even after the emperor's death, he continued to govern as regent and rewarded those who participated in the palace coup.
Those who colluded with Xiao Hou and his cronies were imprisoned one by one. Qing officials who refused to submit to Xiao Hou's coercion and torture were appeased and promoted to win over the hearts of the people.
The title of Marquis of Jing'an ultimately fell to Shen Mingshu.
Shen Mingshu was audacious enough to collude with Xiao Hou to harm him. He should be Xiao Hou's accomplice and should be beheaded as a warning to others.
He didn't lay a finger on him and was even willing to grant him the title of First-Rank Marquis, which was already an extraordinary act of mercy out of respect for Mingying. He hoped that the two siblings wouldn't be ungrateful and would continue to oppose him.
When Shen Mingshu successfully arrived at the Pei residence to visit Mingying, it was already five days after the late emperor's death.
He mentioned visiting Pei Xiaoyun, and Pei Xiaoyun readily agreed, telling him to do as he pleased.
Inside the Pei family mansion, Mingying was sitting in the courtyard watching Pei Yu'an fly a kite.
In late spring, willow catkins fluttered in the air, and a kite shaped like a mandarin duck hung in the clear blue sky.
"Mother, come and play with me too." Pei Yu'an wore a thin rabbit fur coat with two small pom-poms on his scarf, which swayed slightly as he ran.
Mingying had to force herself to accompany her to the courtyard; she had no interest in flying kites with her. She shook her head slightly and said, "Mother is tired. You play by yourself, but be careful."
She had thought the child would become distant from her, since their intimacy that night was at Pei Xiaoyun's behest. But the child loved to come to her during the day. A child's manners and behavior cannot be cultivated over a long period of time.
An An is close to her, perhaps because of their mother-daughter blood relationship.
It's understandable if you become estranged from her; she won't force anything.
If asked whether she felt guilty during the three years she was away from her child, she still feels no guilt when she repeatedly asks herself this question.
The culprit wasn't her, it was Pei Xiaoyun.
If we're talking about who has wronged their daughter the most, it should be that bastard.
"Miss, it's time to take your medicine." The maid Xiao Hui brought her another medicine to help with pregnancy.
Mingying didn't want to give birth to the child in her womb, so why would she drink any medicine to prevent miscarriage? Her expression, which had just brightened slightly, darkened again: "Take it away, I won't drink it."
Because Mingying refused to drink the medicine, Xiaohui had already been punished. She was certain that Mingying was kind-hearted, so she knelt down and wept, saying, "Please have pity on me, young lady. This is medicine to prevent miscarriage. If you drink it and take care of your health, I won't have to be punished anymore."
Mingying secretly mocked herself, delivering a perfectly watertight speech.
Pei Xiaoyun wanted to take advantage of her soft heart and use her weakness to manipulate her. Over time, everyone would see her as weak and easy to bully, and they would all be able to take advantage of her openly or secretly.
Why should she always have to compromise herself to protect others?
She backed down this time, so what methods will he use next time?
She waved her hand, her expression unmoved: "I won't drink it, that's fine. Take it away quickly, the smell makes me nauseous."
"Please have pity on this servant, young lady..." Xiao Hui continued to kowtow.
Mingying refused her kneeling, took her arm, helped her up, and sighed, "I pity you, but who will pity me?"
She was adamant and refused to drink.
Xiao Hui had no other choice but to take the medicine away, tears streaming down her face.
Once things had calmed down, Pei Yu'an ran back empty-handed, saying that her kite had fallen into a tree.
Mingying looked up and saw that the kite string had broken and was stuck in a branch at the top of the tree, not moving at all.
She reassured him, "Don't worry, they'll come up and help you pick it up."
Several servants brought over a ladder and climbed up the tree to reach the kite.
A man's figure emerged from the covered walkway, dressed lightly and moving with a brisk pace. It was Shen Mingshu, who had come to visit Mingying.
Pei Xiaoyun allowed him to visit, but also sent people to search his body, forbidding him from bringing anything to Mingying, and even when he spoke, there were servants listening nearby.
Shen Mingshu was searched when he came to see his sister, and he couldn't help but sigh at Pei Xiaoyun's utter shamelessness and how despicable she was!
But in order to see Mingying, he had to comply with the rules of the manor.
“Brother!” Mingying saw him at a glance, stood up and called out to him.
Pei Yu'an looked in the direction her mother was looking. She didn't recognize the stranger, but she wasn't shy and stared straight at the person.
"Ah Ying, how have you been these days? Has he hurt you?"
Shen Mingshu has been feeling uneasy these past few days, fearing that Pei Xiaoyun will be resentful and use her curse again.
If that's the case, he'll kill Pei Xiaoyun even if he has to fight him single-handedly.
However, seeing that she was acting smoothly and calmly, just as she should be, he was finally relieved.
Mingying had already removed the gauze from her neck, leaving only one or two scabbed scars, which were conveniently covered by her high-necked clothes.
"fine."
She had also heard that the emperor had passed away and that Pei Xiaoyun was no longer the same person he used to be, now holding great power. She didn't want to see her brother suffer any more harm because of her.
Shen Mingshu nodded heavily.
Pei Xiaoyun imprisoned his sister, yet ridiculously rewarded her, acting both despicable and hypocritical.
Faced with such a despicable person, he could do nothing.
He was worried about Aying, so he could only stay in the capital for the time being.
A surge of grief and indignation welled up in his heart. He turned his gaze and met a pair of clear, bright eyes.
“It’s Uncle, greet him.” Mingying patted Pei Yu’an’s hand.
Pei Yu'an tilted his head and smiled, "Hello, Uncle, my name is An'an."
Shen Mingshu was seeing his niece for the first time. She had big, round eyes and a delicate nose; she was indeed lovely and adorable.
His heart softened, filled with affection for the child. He picked up Pei Yu'an and chatted with her, asking how old she was.
I heard that her kite fell into a tree. The servants brought a ladder, but they couldn't retrieve it for a long time. He put the servants down, used the ladder to climb up the tree, and easily got the kite.
Pei Yu'an took the kite and clapped his hands happily: "Thank you, Uncle."
Looking at her rosy cheeks, Shen Mingshu couldn't connect her with Pei Xiaoyun at all, and couldn't help but sigh. If that night hadn't been a setup, he could have taken the child with him.
The courtyard was warm and breezy, comfortable and pleasant. The three sat chatting, and every now and then a little girl's laughter could be heard.
When Pei Xiaoyun returned to the manor, she saw the three of them sitting in the pavilion talking.
A faint smile curved at the corners of Mingying's lips, revealing a smile he hadn't seen in a long time.
The fluttering willow catkins cast a soft hue before his eyes, calming the restlessness in his heart.
The conversation stopped abruptly as he walked over.
Only Pei Yu'an turned her head and glanced at him: "Why did Father come back at this time? My kite broke, and Uncle said he would make me a new one!"
After the childish voice finished speaking, the atmosphere froze, and an endless silence descended, with only the sound of the wind in one's ears.
Pei Xiaoyun felt like an untimely intruder, standing straight beside the lacquered wooden pillar.
"The kite is broken, just have the servants go and buy another one." He said, seemingly answering his daughter's question first to ease the tense atmosphere.
Pei Yu'an wanted the eagle-shaped kite that her uncle had mentioned, but she sensed that her father disagreed, so she remained silent, puffing out her cheeks.
Pei Xiaoyun's expression darkened slightly. He hadn't expected that even his own daughter would disrespect him, which seemed to indicate that he was the most superfluous person.
He turned around with his hands behind his back, his thin lips moving slightly, "It's getting late, stay for a meal."
He saw that Mingying had finally come out of her room today and that she looked happy, so he made an unprecedented exception and invited Shen Mingshu to stay for a meal in order to please her.
Unexpectedly, Shen Mingshu snorted coldly, lifted his robe, and stood up: "Farewell."
Seeing that Mingying was alright, he was relieved. With Pei Xiaoyun present, how could the siblings catch up? And why would he stay for his meal?
Even if he wanted to save his sister from her suffering, he needed to plan carefully.
Pei Xiaoyun never intended to keep him around; it's better that he left, saving him from having to be on guard against the brother and sister plotting against him behind his back.
"It's windy in the evening, and you're not feeling well, come inside." He walked over and looked at Mingying, who was half-turned to the side.
She was already frail and pregnant, so she couldn't withstand the evening frost and wind.
Mingying picked up the now-cold tea, drank a cup, and glanced at his shadow: "The room is cramped and stuffy. It's good to sit outside and get some fresh air."
Pei Xiaoyun stared at her silently for a while, and understood her veiled accusations.
The stone in front of him was covered in thorns. No matter how he tried to handle it, whether it was soft or hard, it would prick his palm hard and cause him pain.
Before speaking, he ordered his servants to take the child away.
He then sat down with her on the pavilion bench, and, adopting a more dignified demeanor, told her about the affairs of the court: "I have granted your brother the title of First-Rank Marquis. From now on, he can rightfully stay in the capital, and the family can often gather together like today."
Just now, she was clearly very happy with her family.
They will do the same in the future.
"Shameless." Mingying flashed a bright white smile, refuting his absurd words without leaving any room for argument. "Who's family with you?"
Her misfortune and her suffering were all his doing, yet he could still speak to her in such a blatant tone of bestowing favors.
Pei Xiaoyun's eyelids twitched, as if all the kind words she had just spoken had been discarded and crushed into dust.
His eyes flickered, and just as he was about to speak again, she used another sentence to build a high wall between them.
Who in this world would treat their enemy as family?
Like a stone thrown into a lake, creating ripples.
This was the only sentence that Pei Xiaoyun could not refute.
But didn't she also want him dead?
He thought back to the two months he spent lying in Hangzhou, hiding from everyone, and the anger still hadn't completely dissipated.
His hands suddenly gripped her shoulders, pressing his forehead against hers, and words escaped his lips: "If you're not as skilled as others, you have to accept the consequences. If you lose, you have to pay the price."
Mingying felt her boiling blood rush from her feet to her heart, and she trembled with anger, slapping him across the face.
The slap made Pei Xiaoyun tilt his head slightly to the right. He was stunned and his eyes flashed coldly. Before he could react, another crisp slap landed on his left cheek.
He could no longer bear it. He grabbed her wrist, his face turning from contorted to calm, his anger mixed with a hint of helplessness: "Alright, have you hit me enough? Are you done being angry? Consider these two slaps as what I owe you. From today onwards, I want to live a good life with you. Let's not talk about the past anymore."
"Not enough! What is this?!" Mingying gritted her teeth, and even stabbing him three times and six times wouldn't quell her hatred.
Without a word, Pei Xiaoyun picked her up and carried her through the dimly lit, mottled corridor into the main house, where a warm breeze wafted through the air.
"It's windy outside, take care of yourself."
Mingying struggled violently, brushing against the door frame and kicking off both of her shoes.
Pei Xiaoyun placed her on a round stool and sat down beside her. His dark robe pressed tightly against her pale purple skirt, and his fingers stroked her fair neck. "Don't move, let me see your injury."
Mingying was pinned down by him, unable to move. His hot breath brushed against her face. Fear and grief mingled in her heart. She wanted to reach for the vase behind her and smash it down on him.
Pei Xiaoyun noticed first, pulling her hands back. He frantically suppressed the wild beating of his heart, forging an invisible shackle around her, his tone dark yet gentle: "I heard you refuse to apply the medicine or drink it. From now on, I will come back and apply it for you and feed it to you myself."
"Bring it here." He glanced at the trembling maid behind him.
I'd heard she was stubborn; she still hadn't been willing to take the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine for so many days.
Does she really hate the child in her womb that much, and not want to give birth to it?
"I won't drink, I won't drink!!" Mingying kept leaning back, her spine hitting the display shelf, causing several vases to fall to the ground.
The sound of the tiles snapping open was deafening, sending several fragments flying—
"It's not poison, what are you afraid of?"
Seeing her resist so fiercely, Pei Xiaoyun first took a sip of the medicine in front of her, then pinched her soft cheeks, pressed the rim of the bowl against her slightly parted lips, and forced half a bowl down her throat.
Half a bowl was eaten, and the other half was spilled all over her clothes.
"Cough cough..." Mingying felt unwell and bent over to dry heave, but nothing came out.
Seeing that she had drunk it, Pei Xiaoyun was finally satisfied and called a maid to help her change into clean clothes.
The rustling sound of clothes rubbing together could be heard from inside the room.
When Pei Xiaoyun came in again, the moonlight shone through the wooden window lattice, casting a clear glow on the floor, and all was quiet.
Mingying, perhaps exhausted from all the commotion, lay on her side on the couch, breathing evenly.
Regardless of whether she was asleep or not, he lifted the covers and climbed onto the bed, pressing his chest tightly against her back and wrapping one arm around her waist.
Mingying hadn't closed her eyes yet. When she sensed him getting close, her body stiffened, as if she were being coiled by a venomous snake.
His hand had already reached around to her chest, and she opened her mouth as if to bite down.
Pei Xiaoyun seemed to have expected this. He suddenly moved his hand away, and his deep, magnetic voice sounded in her ear: "The fourth day of next month is an auspicious day. We will hold the wedding. We will not use anyone else's identity, but your identity, Mingying's identity."
He couldn't wait until she gave birth to the child before they got married.
He desperately wanted to marry her, make her his wife, and keep her by his side.
Even if she's unwilling, he can force her to stay for a lifetime.
"Wishful thinking." Mingying's voice was weary, and she didn't want to say anything more to him. These four words fully expressed her disgust and helplessness.
What good would it do to marry her using her identity? She had long since lost all desire to have anything to do with him.
She didn't want anything he offered her.
These four words pierced one's heart like a sharp sword.
Pei Xiaoyun ignored her cold words and murmured to herself, "If this baby is a boy, I will teach him to dance with swords and ride horses. If it is a girl, she can keep An'an company."
His dismissive words, as light as straw, forced open Mingying's closed heart, bringing out all those painful memories.
Slowly, a cold and bitter smile appeared on her lips.
The person who cruelly forced her to drink abortion medicine can now openly expect the child's arrival, just like an executioner with blood on his hands who washes the blood off and tries to erase the evil he did.
It made her feel incredibly disgusted.
"What if you can't give birth?" Mingying's lips were dry, and her voice was filled with a chilling coldness, a blatant threat.
His aspirations made her uncomfortable.
Without any restraint, she spoke, shattering his ridiculous hopes.
Pei Xiaoyun knew the meaning behind her words, which were tinged with hatred, but he repeatedly covered it up for her with indifference, which was also a way of covering up his own heart.
"That will never happen again. This time, I will be by your side."
"In the past, there were indeed some things that I neglected, which caused you to suffer."
He will never let those things happen again.
What she wants to do is unlikely to succeed.
Mingying automatically blocked his words, and through the blanket, where he couldn't see, her hand slowly moved to her lower abdomen.
There was no joy or excitement in her eyes when she first touched a living being; instead, there was only the chilling frost.
She didn't care whether the baby was a boy or a girl, and she didn't want to marry him or be his wife.
She's had enough of keeping birds trapped in cages.
She no longer wanted to yield to anyone or anything.
—
Apart from Pei Yu'an and Shen Mingshu, Pei Xiaoyun did not allow Mingying to meet with anyone else.
On the next few occasions when Shen Mingshu came, he was searched before being allowed in. When he spoke with Mingying, he was inevitably eavesdropped on, and every word he said was heard by Pei Xiaoyun.
During the day, Mingying was surrounded by a large group of maids wherever she went. At night, Pei Xiaoyun stayed by her side every step of the way, and even moved his office desk to her room.
Mingying's spirits had never been good, like the withered flower on the windowsill, dying from the roots upwards, but the stems and leaves had not yet withered away.
They are neither alive nor dead.
Except when she's with her daughter, when she manages a few forced smiles, it's rare to see any emotion on her face otherwise.
"Mother, will Uncle come again? Will he come to teach me how to make kites again?" Pei Yu'an never forgot about this matter and kept hoping that Shen Mingshu would come again.
Upon hearing about making kites, Mingying paused slightly, then a thought gradually formed in her mind. She patted Pei Yu'an's head and said, "Yes, Uncle will definitely keep his word."
Pei Xiaoyun was wary of Shen Mingshu and forbade him from visiting frequently. As a result, Mingying and Pei Yu'an did not see him for more than ten days in a row.
When Mingying lay down at night, she could feel a slight bulge in her lower abdomen, just like when she was first pregnant, and the fetus inside her was growing day by day.
But now she only feels a deep sense of powerlessness and exhaustion.
Pei Xiaoyun was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this child, a new beginning for him and Mingying. He placed his warm palms on her lower abdomen, never before so gentle and careful.
Mingying turned her back to him, her spine hunched, and she bit her lower lip until the taste of blood filled her mouth.
She can't just sit here and wait to die!
In the following days, having nothing to do, she began to plant flowers and plants in the yard with Pei Yu'an.
The morning and evening medications for preventing miscarriage were delivered, and she drank them all by herself without being urged.
Pei Xiaoyun saw the mother and daughter squatting in front of the flower corridor, holding soil and shovels, whispering intimately, and an unprecedented warm current flowed through her chest.
In a daze, he had the illusion that none of the past had ever happened.
It seems that he and Mingying really did spend three years happily in the capital.
After being stubborn for so many days, she finally softened and came to her senses.
He will marry her. They have a three-year-old daughter and will have another child in the future. They will live in harmony and happiness. What could be better?
Everyone hopes for this.
He was in a good mood and stepped into the pavilion. He smelled the delicate fragrance of flowers and looked around. All he could see were the flowers they had planted.
Spring flowers bloom in succession, butterflies flutter among them, and clusters of deep red and light red blossoms surround them. Under the vast spring breeze, a scene of exquisite beauty unfolds.
More vivid than the spring sunshine was her slender and graceful figure.
Mingying smelled the faint sandalwood scent carried on the wind and knew it was him. She then said in a tone of voice, "The flowers in this flower garden are too monotonous."
Pei Xiaoyun immediately said, "There are plenty of flower varieties in the greenhouse. You can walk around and see if there are any you want to plant."
“All the seeds from the greenhouse are here.” Mingying pointed to several clusters of flowers that were either red or purple, somewhat dissatisfied. “Look, there aren’t many other colors.”
She found something she loved to do instead of staying cooped up in her room all day with a long face, which Pei Xiaoyun was naturally happy to see.
It's just a matter of planting a few kinds of flowers and plants, what can't satisfy her? He went along with her: "Then you can tell the servants in the flower room what kind of flowers and plants you want to plant, and they will find them themselves."
Upon receiving his order, Mingying immediately went to the flower room, wrote down several types of flower and plant seeds, and instructed them to find them.
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